Explosive-engine.



No. 868,834. PATENTED 00122. 1907.

' W. K. BASSFORD.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 22, 1900.

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PATENTED 001'. 22. 1907.

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EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN, 22. 1906.

W. K. BA'SSFORD.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 22, 1900.

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No. 868,834. PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

W. KHBASSFORD.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN 22, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

gum/who's UNITED STATES WILLIAM R. BASSFORD, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VAPOR GAS EN GINE PATENT OFFICE.

' MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EX13LOSIVEENGINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Applicationfiled January 22, 1906. f Serial No. 297,339.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it knownthat I, WrLLIAM K. Bnssronn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perth Amboy, in the county of Middlesex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in explosive engines and it is embodied in the construction and arrangement of parts presently to be described and defined in the claims.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of explosive engines wherein gasolene; kerosene, alcohol or other volatile explosive fluids are employed.

I have found that as an exceedingly important expedient in explosive engines, it is necesary to admit to the explosive chambers a gas which in its nature and constituency is substantially perfect or as near so as can be well obtained so that a complete and perfect explosion will occur.

Withthis end inview, I have conceived and embodied a construction wherein what I shall term a mixing chamber is employed, the same being designed to admit predetermined portions of air and vapor which latter is by the heat of the mixing chamber converted intoa very perfect explosive mixture. Having accomplished this result, I have also provided mechanism for maintaining subtantially uniform conditions under varying changes of load or work.

To produce a more effective engine, I have also so I arranged the parts, especially in a multiple cylinder it understood that many changes, alterations, modifications, and rearrangements of the parts can be made without departing from the nature and principle of the invention. A

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a four cylinder gas engine showing parts diagrammatically, Fig. 2 is an end view showing parts of the flywheel broken away, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one of the valve cas-' ings containing a governor valve, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the conduits carried by the cap of the mixing chamber, Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the mixing chamber the cover thereof being shown in dotted lines, and, Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 66 of Fig. 5, the cover being shown in full lines in the section.

In the drawings, the cylinders are designated at A, A A and A".

B designates the crank casing or housing.

(lie the fly wheel carrying the governor hereinafter referred to.

D D D and D designate the casings for the inlet valves which latter are designated at e as shown in Fig. 3. The, valves e are of large area, the same being carried by suitable stems e entering through bearings in the casing, having their upper ends surrounded by seating springs e the latter being capped by noise deadening shells E, as shown in Fig. 4.

E designates the exhaust valves of an area. equal to that of the inlet valves e and between these valves is located the port to and from the explosive chamber of the engine cylinder. With each pair of cylinders, I provide a governing valve G located midway between the two valve casings D, D as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This governing valve is positioned in a valve casing F and is arranged to move vertically in a chamber F into which from opposite directions leads the passage to the inlet valves from the casings D etc. This reciprocating governing valve is mounted on a suitable valve stem g which is in turn coupled to or connected shaft J extending the length of the machine. This shaft is journaled in suitable bearings j extending from the valve casings and the cylinder frame or support, the end of the shaft having a crank arm G to which the actuating link I of the governing eccentric is attached. This eccentric with its associated parts may be of any desired character and is designed to be actuated by governor mechanism of any suitable construction. In describing the inlet valve and the governing valve as above, I desire it understood that the companion set will be in-all material respects the same differing only in the position of the inlet to the chamber F in which instance the inlet will be variedto ac- N designates a mixing chamber located at the base with a. rock lever Gr mounted fixedly on a longitudinal pan as shown in Fig. 1 into which fluid may be placed and ignited so as to heat the chamber N. The internal 7 arrangement of the chamber N is by preference that shown in Fig. 6 wherein it will be observed the interior of the chamber is divided by partitions into a series of conduits or channels, the outer channel n extending along the opposite sides and ends and by a suitable partition at n is directed towards the center rebending towards the outer end and this outer chamber I shall refer to as being the exhaust passage. At the center of the chamber n is a chamber or passageway designated atn' of substantially I-shape having its opposite ends centrally divided by partitions 'n. Intermediate'the two chambers or channels a, n, is a vapor heating channel or passageway N which is in the form of a passage n.

lar'ports n n", the former communicating with the v outer exhaust passage through the top or cap, while the tortuous passage being so shaped by virtue of the shape of the exhaust passages. This vapor passage extends in a zig-zag direction across one end, side and 'the opposite end, meeting at the center of the opposite sides at which point a cross over partition n is placed.

N designates a cap plate for the chamber N and this cap plate carries on its upper face a series of conduits N N, N and N closed along their upper and side walls and terminating in a common discharge passage N Passing through that portion of the cap N which constitutes the bottoms or lower walls of these conduits are a series of openings or ports 11,", n spaced apart, the ports n when the cap plate" is in position, communicate with the inner exhaust passage a of the mixing chamber, while the ports n communicate with the outer In the discharge passage N are two similatter communicates with the inner exhaust passage.

P designates the vaporizer or atomizer for supplying the mixture of air and gas to the mixing chamber. 7 This vaporizer has a pipe leading to an inlet opening or pas- I sage M formed in the top of the mixing chamber in a manner similar to the passages above described and leading downward through a port m into the end of the vapor passage N of the mixing chamber. The material entering in through this passage is carried in a tortuous course through the mixing chamber'and finds exit through a passageway 0 formed on the top of the mixing chamber with which it communicates through a port 0, itsouter end being coupled with a supply pipe 0. The ends of the passageways N, N", N and N are, by suit'able couplings, connected with the ex- -haust pipes M M M and M whose upper ends comtortuous exhaust passage of the mixing chamber will heat the walls surrounding the vapor supply andso to such an extent that the vapor will be rendered highly heated and thereby converted or fixed into a gas of ex ,cellent quality and of a nature which will result in its complete combustion, as is well known when vapor is superheated or transformed into the gaseous state. The heated exhaust forcibly entering through the passageways is relieved of the greater part of its heat by the incoming relatively cold vapors or mixtures of vapor and air and as the vapor or mixture enters at one extreme and discharges through the opposite end of its passage it is required to come in contact with the surrounding heated walls fora considerable lengthof time thereby absorbing effectively a large amount of the heat from the exhaust. v

I have found in my experiments and tests that the supply of heated explosive material should be of a temperature fitted to the conditions and work under which and to which the engines are subjected, that is to say, if the vapor is overheated the action of the engines will be-less effective than when the vapor isat the proper temperature. To prevent this overheating and to render the machine automatic as to maintaining a proper condition of temperature for the explosive fluid, I employ an automatic cut off which will now be referred to. p

In each ofthe passageways N N, N and N are placed valves a, a a a. These valves are vertically arranged preferably and are shaped to fit the cross section of the passageway so that when the valves are turned at right angles to the passageways the latter will be completely closed. The valves are located slightly back from the ports n? and are mounted on vertical stems, the upper ends of which project through the upper walls of the passageways. These stems are in turn provided with crank arms a which are suitably pivotally connected to a reciprocating bar Z, the latter carrying on one of its ends an armature z positioned directly in front of the cores or magnets Y. I

y designates a relay governing a suitable switch.

T designates the battery.

Projecting into the top of the supply 0 at the point where the arms'or leads therefrom extend, is a thermostatic member X, conveniently a mercury tube.

Into the end of this tube project the terminals of the conductors X X the latter terminating in the magnet Y and having a lead to the battery, while the former terminates at the relay 3 From the relay a conductor extends to the battery T. By this means, as soon as the circuit is closed at the mercury tube it will be established through the conductors X X the relay and the battery energizing the relay, closing the' switch, and throwing the battery current into the magnet Y. The magnets, becoming energized, will draw ,the armatures rocking the valves to an open position. The valves are returned to, their closed position .by the spring Z as soon as the circuit is broken by a diminution of the heat. It will be observed that normally the valves are closed so that the exhaust will be forced to pass through the circuitous passages in the i'nixing chamber. Should, however, the temperature become too high for perfect results the thermostat closing automatically, the same having been previously set for actuation at the proper time, the valves will immediately be. opened permitting the exhaust t0"'pass through the bypass or short course over the ports at, n and through the discharge N.

In the drawings I have shown diagrammatically sparking plugs with portions of the circuits to the coils and in this connection any suitable make and break device can be employed.

In addition to the inlet valves, I have referred and described the so-called governing valves, the purpose of which is to govern the admission of the fluid to the explosion chamber. These governing valves are actuated by the rock shaft through an eccentric and in positioning and arranging the governing valves, I have found it expedient to prevent their full closure, the purpose of which is to insure at all times a supply of gas immediately at the point of inlet, upon the movement of the inlet valves thereby at all times insuring a suflicient amount of gas in the cylinder to insure a complete explosion at each discharge of the igniting spark. In other words, the governor valve is never completely closed and therefore is different i from those types of engines using a throttle governor or those governed by what is known as the hit and miss principle. This also enables me to provide a quick acting large area inlet valve, the same opening quickly admitting at once a full charge and closing quickly upon compression stroke of the piston.

From the description of the construction above ie ferred to it is thought that the operation will be apparent. Briefly stated, however, the gases produced by the heat from the exhaust are conducted to the cylinders in a manner so that the length of travel is equal to each cylinder; is there regulated by the regulating valve and discharged by the spark, the exhaust being conducted to the mixing chamber. The regulating valve never being fully closed, results as stated, in the complete charge of the engine at each stroke while the heat in the mixing chamber is governed by the automatic valves permitting the shunting of the heated exhausts past the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber being made with the internal supply channel or conduit having thin walls bounded on opposite sides by the channels for the heated exhausts the vapor quickly absorb the heat and in that condition is delivered to the engines. Of course, while the peculiarly arranged construction of the passages in the exhausts are preferred, various other forms can be employed whereby the entering vapor is subjected on all sides to the heat of the escaping exhaust. I therefore do not wish to be limited to this particular arrangement.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder. :1 50 supply and exhaust, oi means for heating the supply by the exhaust, and automatic means controlled by the temperature of the supply adjacent the point of its admission to the engine for governing the heat of the supply.

:2. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder a 55 supply and exhaust, of means for heating the supply by H the exhaust, and electrical means controlled by the tem perature of the supply adjacent the point of its admission to the engine for governing the heat of the supply.

3. In a gas engine. the combination with a cylinder sup- 60 ply and exhaust pipes leading therefrom, a mixing chamber with which said supply pipe communicates. a heating passage for said mixing chamber communicating with said exhaust pipe, and automatic means controlled by the tomperature of the supply adjacent the point of its admission 5 6.5a to the engine for shunting the exhaust from the heating passage of the mixing chamber.

4. In a gas engine the combination with a plurality of sets of cylinders, a mixing chamber, a heating passage therefor communicating with the exhausts of said cylinders, a supply pipe common to all the cylinders extending from said mixing chamber. and branches of relatively uniform length extending from said supply pipe to each cylinder, and means controlled by the temperature of the supply in said common supply pipe for shunting the exhaust from the heating passage of the mixing chamber.

5. In a gas engine. the combination with the cylinders of a mixing chamber having a passage therein communicating with the exhaust of the cylinders, a passage within said first mentioned passage communicating. with the supply of the cylinders, a series of valves governing the exhaust and means for regulating the valves controlled by the temperature of the supply intermediate the mixing chamber and cylinder.

6. In a gas engine, the combination with the cylinders of a mixing chamber having, a passage therein communieating with the exhaust of the cylinders. a passage within said first mentioned passage communicating with the supply of the cylinders. a series of valves governing the exhaust of the cylinders, and means for regulating said valves including a thermostat governed by the temperature of the supply intermediate the mixing chamber and cylinder.

7. In a gas engine the combination with the cylinder, a supply and exhaust, of a mixing chamber having separated passages into which the supply and the exhaust lead respectively, and means governed by the temperature of the supply intermediate the mixing chamber and cylinder for controlling the temperature of the mixing chamber.

8. In a gas engine, the combination with the engine and its supply and exhaust. of a rectangular box-like structure prbvided with a plurality of partition plates therein extending from the top to the bottom thereof and dividing the same into a plurality of tortuous contiguous passages respectively for the gas and heated exhaust, the gas passages being bounded on two sides by theexhaust passages.

9. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder, a supply pipe leading thereto, and an exhaust pipe leading therefrom, a mixing chamber. a passage in said mixing chamber communicating with the supply pipe, and independent passages at each side of said first mentioned passage communicating with the exhaust pipe, and means for shunting the exhaust from the mixing chamber.

10. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder, a supply pipe leading therefrom. a mixing chamber, a passage-in said mixing chamber communicating with the supply pipe, independent passages at each side of said first mentioned passage communicating with the exhaust pipe, and means for automatically shunting the exhaust from the mixing chamber.

11. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder, :1 supply pipe, a mixing chamber, a passage for the supply therein communicating; with the engine supplypipe. independent exhaust passages within the mixing chamber on each side of said supply passage, and an exhaust pipe provided with two pairs of ports communicating at difierent points with said exhaust passages.

12. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder, a supply pipe, a mixing chamber, a passage for the supply therein communicating with the engine supply pipe. independent exhaust passages within the mixing chamber on each side of said supply passage, an exhaust pipe provided with two pairs of ports conimunicating' at different points with said exhaust passages, and a valve in said exhaust pipe between said pairs of ports.

13. In a gas engine, the combination with a cylinder, a supply pipe. a mixing chamber, a passage for the supply therein communicating with the engine supply pipe. inde pendent exhaust passages within the mixing chamber on each side of said supply passage. an exhaust pipe provided with two pairs of ports communicating at different points with said exhaust passage, a valve in said exhaust pipe between said pairs of ports. and means for automatically 5 actuating said valve to shunt the exhaust from the mixing chamber.

14. In a multiple cylinder gas engine, the combination with the cylinders, a supply pipe therefor, a mixing chamher, a passage for the supply in the mixing chamber communicating with the engine supply pipe, an exhaust pas" sage within the mixing chamber contiguous to said supply passage, branch exhaust pipes leading from the engine cylinders and terminating in .a common exhaust pipe, said branch exhaust pipes and said common exhaust pipe being provided with portsestablishing communication with up posite portions of the exhaust passages in the mixing 10 chamber, and valves in the branch exhaust pipes beyond the ports therein. r a In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of, two witnesses.

WILLIAM K. BASSFQRD.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. DERBY, JOHN A. MILLIKnN. 

